Do I need flood insurance?

You will need to verify if your property is within a floodplain zone. You can go to the Jefferson County Interactive Map and check the floodplain layer to view the floodplains in Jefferson County. You can also go to the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and search your address to view if you are within a floodplain. The fact that a flood has not occurred recently does not mean that one may take place.

Structures located in high-risk flood areas have a significant chance (26%) of suffering flood damage during the term of a 30-year mortgage while only a 9 percent chance of loss from fires. A home mapped in a high-risk area is three times more likely to suffer damage from a flood than a fire in the lifetime of a typical mortgage!

For these reasons, flood insurance may be required as a condition of receiving Federal or federally backed financial assistance in areas with high-risk flooding. To learn more, you can go to the official web site of the National Flood Insurance Program.

Show All Answers

1. What is a floodplain?
2. Do I need flood insurance?
3. Which permits do I need to work in a floodplain?
4. Is my property within a floodplain?
5. My property has never flooded. Why am I required to purchase flood insurance?
6. Where can I learn more about purchasing flood insurance?
7. What can I do to protect my property and belongings in the event of a flood?
8. How do I build adjacent to a floodplain?